Exercise intolerance, muscle pain and lactic acidaemia associated with a 7497G > A mutation in the tRNA(Ser(UCN)) gene

A 13-year-old girl with non-familial exercise intolerance, muscle pain and lactic acidaemia underwent a muscle biopsy for suspected mitochondrial disease. Muscle morphology showed 25% ragged-red fibres and 80% COX-negative staining. Enzymatic activities of mitochondrially co-encoded respiratory chain enzymes (complexes I, III, and IV) were decreased in muscle but normal in cultured skin fibroblasts. mtDNA analysis revealed the presence of the 7497G> A mutation in the tRNA(Ser)(UCN) gene, homoplasmic in skeletal muscle and 90% in leukocytes. Analysis of the mother's mtDNA showed 10% heteroplasmy in blood. It may be concluded that the 7497G> A mutation is associated with a muscle-only disease presentation for which high levels of mutated mtDNA are required. Exercise intolerance and muscle pain in otherwise normal children warrants further mitochondrial evaluation.